monk
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monk¹
- /mʌŋk/
- /mɔŋk/
Where it comes from
From Middle English monk, from Old English munuc, from Proto-West Germanic *munik, from Late Latin monicus, variant of monachus, from Ancient Greek μοναχός (monakhós, “single, solitary”), from μόνος (mónos, “alone”).
noun monks · moncke
- A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service. This is believed to be the completeſt liſt of this voluminous, proſaick, and driveling monk, that can be formed, without acceſs, at leaſt, to every manuſcript library in the kingdom, which would be very difficult, if not imposſible, to obtain.
- In earlier usage, an eremite or hermit devoted to solitude, as opposed to a cenobite, who lived communally. Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, while in the case of monk and crusader there must have been a sustaining purpose, and possibly a great abnegation, a leaving of lands and possession
- Someone who leads an isolated life; a loner, a hermit.
- An unmarried man who does not have sexual relationships.
- A judge.
- An inkblot.
- A South American monkey (Pithecia monachus); also applied to other species, as Cebus xanthosternos.
- The bullfinch, common bullfinch, European bullfinch, or Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula).
- The monkfish.
- A fuse for firing mines.
verb monks · monking · monked · moncke
- To be a monk. "Ah!" she cried, "thou art the prettiest little monk that ever monked it in this blessed, amorous town of Constance!"
- To act like a monk; especially to be contemplative. Many a scholar, making wings of candlewicks to flap away old darkness, monked his life to fasting long while feasting upon new light.
- To monkey or meddle; to behave in a manner that is not systematic. The Avatar spoke gently as she responded to his jibe. "Now fucking get aboard and stop monking on like a schoolboy, you silly earplug.
- To be intoxicated or confused. I looked up from the thick cotton mat, unsure where my legs were. “She looks monked up.” “maybe her brain is damaged, huh, miss Bryant?”
- To attach so that it sticks out. Molten roofing north, lead dripping down south, stand like those immobilized columns of arctic water west, stalagmites, monked and housed or stamped and dudleyed east, in school texts.
monk²
- /mʌŋk/
- /mɔŋk/
Where it comes from
By shortening.
noun monks
- A monkey. ‘We wuz talkin’ and the monk got loose, and she sent me off to catch him.’
Monk³
proper noun Monks
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: monastic, fra, friar, priest, guru, man, meng, mongolian, monaco, fray, munch, moine, moines, cenobite, coenobite, ascetic
Translations
Every language
noun male member of monastic order
| Español | monje |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 수도사 sudosa, 수사 susa |
| 日本語 | 僧侶 sōryo, 坊さん bōsan, 修道士 shūdōshi, 僧 sō, 法師 hōshi |
| 中文 | 和尚, 僧侶 /僧侣 sēnglǚ, 僧 sēng, 修士 xiūshì |
| हिन्दी | भिक्षु bhikṣu, महन्त mahant, संन्यासी sannyāsī |
| Kiswahili | mmonaki |
| Português | monge |
| Français | moine |
| Deutsch | Mönch |
| Italiano | monaco, frate |
| Ελληνικά | μοναχός monachós |
| Română | călugăr, monah |
| Русский | мона́х monáx |
| Tiếng Việt | tu sĩ, thầy tu, đan sĩ |
| العربية | رَاهِب rāhib, نَاسِك nāsik |
| עברית | נָזִיר nazír |
Talk about this word "monk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/monk. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. monk. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/monk "monk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/monk.Cite this
@misc{monk_2026,
title = {monk},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/monk},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
